


One Last Hope

by midnightecho



Category: Horrible Histories, Horrible Histories RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 12:30:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/638922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightecho/pseuds/midnightecho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The full story behind this sketch according to moi. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6lfUyS2fAs&feature=relmfu</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Last Hope

_Thud._  
Ben’s fist came down on the wooden door for a third time. Splinters pricked his knuckle but he barely noticed. It was nothing compared to the searing pain tearing through his body.  
The door creaked open slowly. An unfamiliar figure stood behind it, peering out cautiously.  
“I need to see Brother Mathew,” Ben choked. “Please, it’s urgent!”  
“I’m sorry; I can’t let you in–”  
“It’s not medical, I just need to talk to him. Now!”  
The stranger sighed. “Wait here.” He retreated back inside, closing the door once more. Ben rested his forehead on the wood, teeth clenched, determined not to let out any sounds of pain that could be taken as weakness; to die in battle was valiant, but still excruciatingly painful. Frankly he didn’t know how he was still managing it; he could feel a fresh stream of blood trickling down his back and leg as he stood there.  
Without warning the door swung wide and Ben found himself falling headfirst into a man’s chest. As he was helped back into a standing position, Ben realised with a sigh of relief that Mat was standing before him, rather than the stranger from before coming to tell him ‘Brother Mathew is currently unavailable’ in a condescending voice. To be honest, Ben had half-expected that to be the case.  
“Thank gods,” Ben breathed. “I’m so glad to see you–”  
“What do you want?” Mat cut him off, his eyes cold and unforgiving and expression stony. His arms were folded across his chest in a way that extinguished any last hope of welcome Ben had.  
“I just wanted to see you one last time.”  
“What do you mean one last–?”  
Ben turned, wincing, to the side to show the blade that was wedged into his back. The change in Mat’s expression was drastic – his eyes widened in horror and he clamped a hand over his mouth. Ben would have gone so far as to say his eyes moistened with tears, but he could never say for sure as moments later Mat’s face had receded back into one of controlled passiveness.  
“You know we can’t deal with that kind of thing in here...”  
“I know. I didn’t come to ask to be healed; I came to see you while I could. I don’t care that you can’t do anything to heal me – not that you would do anything if you could–”  
“Yeah, you’re right. I don’t want to save you. After everything you did–” Tears definitely filled Mat’s eyes now. “Is there anything you actually wanted to talk about?”  
“I’m sorry. For everything I’ve done to hurt you, over all the years, particularly – that time.”  
“Just say it. You had the will to do it, why can’t you say it? I’m pretty sure it’s easier said than done, and you managed to do it, screwing up my life in the process, so surely the absolute least you could do is admit full responsibility.”  
Salty water spilled over Ben’s eyelashes and down his cheeks, carving oaths through the dirt and grime of battle. “I can’t, Mat. It hurts enough to know that I did it; the guilt has already killed me over and over. I was in an awful place, it was a huge mistake, and it wasn’t only my fault – I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true – but I’ve told you so many times that if I could undo what I did, I would, but I can’t. The only thing I can honestly and wholeheartedly is how deeply, sincerely sorry I am.”  
Mat shook his head slowly. “Well this time sorry isn’t good enough.”  
The heavy wooden door creaked closed and Mat vanished back into the shadows of the Temple of Asclepius.  
“MAT!”  
Ben slammed his fist into the door repeatedly until it bled. He slumped to his knees, head in his hands and tears flowing in a never-ending stream.  
How could Mat do that to him? He was dying and had chosen to run away from the battlefield to reach him before his time ran out. What did it matter that he couldn’t say the words? Why did he have to hold a grudge because he couldn’t utter his actions? Ben still couldn’t admit it to himself after a year; the guilt had driven him crazy. Mat knew he was sorry. He’d apologised every time they spoke since it happened, yet Mat refused to accept it. Ben didn’t really know why he still sought Mat’s forgiveness; it seemed like he would never see it at all.  
Maybe Ben ought to give Mat a taste of his own medicine as his parting gift. Ben knew it was the wrong thing to do, but the spite towards the other man coursed through his veins like fire, forcing all of his last energy to carry him forward and around the side of the temple where the reporters stood, asking for evidence against the fishy success of the healing temple and priests.  
***  
“If it’s a minor illness or something you’ll easily recover from they’ll let you in, but if you’re likely to die, they won’t.”  
“And how do you know this?”  
“They wouldn’t let me in.”  
Mat watched in complete horror as Ben toppled forward onto the steps beside the temple. Part of him was in total shock that Ben would betray the temple’s secrets to some unknown reporter. But that didn’t matter at the moment. He’d been stubborn and stupid enough to leave Ben dying by the temple entrance, but he hadn’t really meant any of what he’d said; the shock of seeing Ben in such a state set Mat into his automatic routine conversation he had exercised with him for the past year whenever he saw him. He couldn’t bring himself to back down so easily because Ben was dying, especially as the rest of the priests were probably listening closely, expecting Mat to be unaffected by death as it was something they dealt with daily despite their 100% no death record claims. He’d had to walk as quickly as would be unsuspicious towards the chambers within the temple to let out him true emotions without any of the others following him.  
But as he watched from behind the pillars where he’d escaped through the side of the temple, Mat knew he’d been stuck up beyond belief to think that his job and social status meant more than his love for Ben. He was dying for gods’ sakes – and the temple was ruined anyway now that the reporters had snooped round. All he cared about now was getting to Ben and being there for him, righting the image Ben had of him while he still could.  
As soon as the reporter was out of view, Mat hurried to Ben’s side. The sword protruded from his back at an odd angle and the blood was already staining the steps. His breathing was shallow and his eyes were barely open.  
“Ben... Ben!” Mat gasped, grabbing his hand.  
“Mat? What are you doing here? I’m sorry for what I did and for talking to reporter; it’s the only way I could get at you, I was spiteful and–”  
“No I was spiteful, Ben. And stop apologising, I know you’re sorry, I don’t care about the reporters, it’s a scam anyway, and I don’t care if you say it or not and never should have cared; it’s just you and me now. You’re all that matters to me, and I don’t care what anyone says when they see me here, I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you so much. I was so fucking stupid to leave you there, too fucking proud to see any sense. Please, please, please forgive me.”He cupped Ben’s exhausted face, looking deep into his fading blue eyes.  
“Of course I forgive you. There’s no way I couldn’t – I love you too much, Mat.”  
Mat’s eyes leaked another stream of tears as he leaned in to kiss Ben’s lips with his own trembling mouth. As he drew away a final breath escaped Ben’s pale lips and the light left him beautiful eyes, replaced by a lifeless stare.  
Mat began to tremble, holding Ben’s body close to his, rocking and weeping until his eyes gave no more tears. Even when the other priests gathered round, he didn’t leave Ben’s side. He would never leave his side again.


End file.
